Our View: Congress should act even if Obama did not

OUR VIEW

President Barack Obama made a mistake asking Congress for permission to act on the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian government headed by Bashar Assad.

His loss of backbone should not be compounded.

The president was apparently ready to launch a series of 43 strikes against targets in Syria in response to the flouting of international agreements against the use of chemical weapons, and in direct violation of Obama's warning that such a use, or even the movement of chemical weapons, would cross a "red line."

Then the British Parliament rejected Prime Minister David Cameron's request for support. Faced with opposition from British politicians, Obama called off his plans.

It should be no surprise to anyone that Americans do not want to get involved in a civil war in Syria. Our strategic interest is hard to discern; there seems to be little prospect for an outcome that makes Syria a better place; and we absolutely do not want to see American troops engaged on the ground.

But his decision to plead for permission from Congress to do his job has emboldened Assad, who, in an interview with Charlie Rose, threatened that the U.S. would face "every action" from several parties in the region if it launched strikes.

The president's waffling has exacerbated the risk to the U.S. and its allies and made the world less safe.

Having thrown Congress an easy pitch, it is understandable that the president's political opponents should wish to take advantage of his lack of judgment and hand him an embarrassing defeat - especially when their constituents, regardless of political party, want nothing to do with a military response.

But Congress should resist the urge and should give the president authority to act.

Given the tenor and increasing power of our congressional delegation, this is an excellent chance to demonstrate Tennessee's leadership and willingness to rise above partisan politics when American authority is under attack.

Whether the president chooses to launch the strikes he had previously planned, or chooses to use the threat of those authorized strikes to force Assad to abide by international sanctions against chemical weapons - a path that Russia has offered - America should not be in a position where we have hobbled our options.

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Our View: Congress should act even if Obama did not

President Obama failed, but Congress should act to keep America's options open on Syria.

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